The Pine. 7 



the New Year and wedding ceremonies, is that of the pine, 

 bamboo, and plum (sho-chiku-bai) . If these are used sep- 

 arately, "the pine is displayed on the first, the bamboo on 

 the -second, and the plum on the third day of the year." 

 The pine is also commonly associated with the crane and 

 the tortoise, all of which are symbols of longevity. 



The never-fading color of the pine is compared to the 

 chastity of woman, and O Matsu is a very common name 

 for a girl. The needle-shaped leaves of the pine "are cred- 

 ited with the power of driving demons away." 



The remarkable dwarf pines are always a particular 

 feature of a Japanese garden; and at Karasaki there is 

 a famous giant pine-tree, 90 feet high, with a circumference 

 of trunk over 39 feet, and length of branches (in all 380) 

 from 240 to 288 feet. 



Special mention should be made of Matsushima (Pine 

 Islands) , near Sendai. These pine-clad isles are considered 

 one of the "three great views" of Japan. They are said 

 to number 896 in all, and are, therefore, called sometimes 

 the "Thousand Islands" of Japan. But in this calculation 

 the smallest rocks are included, even though they may not 

 be visible above water. Many of them have fantastic names 

 to correspond to their fantastic shapes. 



Other places famous for pine-trees are Sumiyoshi, near 

 Sakai, and Takasago, near Kobe. Indeed, the shore from 

 Kobe westward for some distance is a rare pine-clad coast. 

 "The spirits of two ancient pine-trees at Takasago, per- 

 sonified as man and woman of venerable age who are 

 occupied in raking up pine-needles, form a favorite subject 

 of Japanese art." These figures are always prominent in 

 the decorations of a wedding ceremony. 



As the word matsu may mean either "a pine" or "to 

 wait (pine)," there is an excellent opportunity for a pun 

 in both Japanese and English, as in the following lines 

 translated bv Prof. B. H. Chamberlain : 



